The Nintendo 3DS glasses-free 3D games handheld will launch on March 25 in the UK and sell for £229, the company revealed at a press event today. You'll be able to buy one in "cobalt blue" or "cosmo black," and unlike prior DS handhelds which employed a fixed stylus, the 3DS will include one that telescopes.
Calling today "a big day for Nintendo," Nintendo American COO Reggie Fils-Aime described the company's forthcoming flagship handheld as "a different kind of 3D," referring to the devices ability to produce 3D images without the need for special eyewear. It'll also be the only device in existence that couples a 3D top screen with an opposing touchscreen.
Nintendo 3DS: In With the Old, In With the New
Nintendo reiterated much of what we already knew before building to the price and launch date finale. The top 3D screen will be 10% bigger than the DSI's. It'll be backward compatible with DS and DSi downloadable games. You'll be able to snap 3D pictures and watch 3D videos. It'll have an analog thumb joystick just above the traditional d-pad. And it'll have both a gyroscope and accelerometer, allowing it to recognize both directional and velocity-related motion.
Nintendo's also learning from its competition. Like Microsoft Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the 3DS will include a "home" button that allows players to break out of an application and switch to others.
The company claimed it'll offer 30 games between the system's launch in March and the E3 2011 video game convention in June. Titles briefly teased at the event included Pilotwings Resort (think Wii Sports Resort), Nintendogs + Cats (pets can recognize you, but won't be as kind to strangers), Steel Diver (a submarine game where you use the 3DS's gyroscope as a periscope), Dead or Alive Dimensions (a 3D fighter), Super Street Fighter IV 3D (another 3D fighter), and Madden Football (3D gameflow with arcade-style play calls).
Nintendo 3DS: Tweak, Spot, Fight!
A special 3DS features called "Spot Pass," which allows two 3DS units near each other to exchange information automatically, will also allow games like Super Street Fighter IV to be played silently. Imagine your customized game character knocking arms, elbows, and knees with someone else's while your 3DS units sit in pockets or backpacks on a train or in an airplane.
Nintendo revealed the 3DS will ship with several bundled apps as well, including a pedometer-style fitness tool (think Wii Fit in your pocket), an "enhanced" web browser, a "Mii Maker" avatar creation tool, and a shooter dubbed Face Raider that snaps a picture of your face to use in lieu of a ship. Yeah, that last one sounds a little weird to me too.
If you're into Game Boy nostalgia, the 3DS will include both Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulators with games downloadable from Nintendo's online store. No word on a Game Boy Advance emulator yet.
The company says it's planning interactive demos across the country with some 5,000 units available for customers to try the device out. Showing is of course Nintendo's biggest challenge with the 3D. You can't demo 3D gaming with static pictures or non-3D trailers after all.
Comments
extent said: add html to the end of that telegraph link and it should work
extent said: I think with the warnings theyre just covering themselves incase anyone tries to sue I think there are similar warnings with most 2d handhelds Read this article for more info wwwtelegraphcouktechnologyps- just about EVERY handheld or videogame will give you a headache after x number of hrs 200 is a bit steep though unless its 3d effect really is as amazing as many are trying to make out
Shigeru Miya-no-go said: 229 ouch I cant see that taking off anywhere especially for a handheld It is a Nintendo machine so no doubt most of the big Ninty fans will be up for it at any price but after that I expect the price to fall fast or theyll be stuck Ive been reading the reviews and despite the 3d effect supposedly being amazing it may cause some nasty sore heads and is not advised to be given to young age groups as a result Im wondering if nintendo may well have its first handheld hardware flop on its hands if its biggest games arent great that is not likely since they arguably make the best software-but u never know gtO time will tell
Mark Simpson said: 229 Even with 3D and the new tech that sounds a bit steep Especially given what the DSi currently retails for And the PSPIn fact you could buy two PSPs and have one for each eye for the same price lol
Neevle said: Seriously not happy with the price- America is getting it for 250 which is equivalent to 160 here Completely unfair and I think Nintendo will lose a lot of money from this
Matt Egan - Editor said: Its on HMV for 22999
onion said: 229 Dont think so